Biography

TODAY

I am Mayor of Laguna Beach and have been a member of Laguna’s City Council since 2004.  In addition to my duties on the council, I am a Professor of Law and Director of the Clinical Externship Program at the College of Law, University of LaVerne, Ontario, California. I am running for re-election to the City Council and ask for you support.

Over the years I have served on many boards and am currently on the board of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties overseeing a budget of over $20 million and the board of Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS) of Los Angeles with a budget of $11 million.    NLS delivered legal aid to over 40,000 people last year.  In Laguna, I have served on the boards of the Laguna Greenbelt, Laguna Beach Woman’s Club, and Laguna North Community Association (LANO).  I have served as President of Planned Parenthood and LANO. 

I am married to Paul Egly, Judge Retired, and together we are the parents and grandparents to a growing  blended family.

 1964 — Graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA degree.

 1972 — Awarded a Juris Doctorate, cum laude from Wayne State School of Law, Detroit, Michigan.

 Practiced Law for 25 years, first in the area of Family and Real Estate Law, then as an Orange County Public Defender, and finally as a trial attorney in civil litigation. 

 2000 to Present—Professor, College of Law, University of LaVerne, Ontario, California

YESTERDAY

 I had a  good childhood.  Most of my youth was in Silver Spring, Maryland (next door to Washington, DC) and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

 I loved Washington, D.C.  My brother and I would take every possible opportunity and go into the Capitol and watch the Senate and committee hearings.  The proceedings were very interesting and we met some interesting people including Senator John F. Kennedy, Senator William Fulbright, Robert Kennedy, Vice President Richard Nixon, Rocket Expert Werner Von Braun and Jimmy Hoffa, President of the Teamsters Union. 

I started college at the University of Maryland and transferred to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill  in 1962.  At that time, Carolina only accepted women in their junior year.  After graduating from UNC, I spent the summer of 1964 working on the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women. 

The next summer I married.   A few years later, I began law school at Carolina.  When my husband took a job in Detroit, I transferred to Wayne State School of Law.  Our son Paul was born in 1969 and our Annie seventeen months later.

CALIFORNIA

 In 1973 we moved to Claremont, California.  Life was very busy.  Paul and Annie were very active and I volunteered in their classrooms and as a crossing guard. 

After passing the California Bar, I began to practice law and was very fortunate to work with the firm Wiener, Newman, Chrisman and Baldonado – a great and supportive group of attorneys.    My area of practice was family and real estate law. 

As a family law attorney, I noted the person who most needed protection was the child.   I persuaded a family law judge to appoint me as the attorney for the child in a custody case.  He continued appointing me and we began to get lots of attention.  With the help of a State Assembly member, this practice of appointing an attorney for the child became state law and is the practice followed in the court today. 

During this time I served on a State Bar Committee, on the Board of the Family Service Agency, Hope House, and started a legal clinic at the Claremont Senior Citizen’s Center.  The most challenging job, besides being a Mom, was as Chair of the Claremont Water Task Force.

Capistrano Beach

In 1978 we moved to Capistrano Beach where I lived until 1984.  Lots of time was spent at soccer and baseball games and on the beach watching son Paul learn to surf. 

I started a practice and continued doing family and real estate law plus some appellate work.  My community service included serving on the board of the Boys and Girls Club and as the first president of Capistrano Unified School District Foundation—set up on the model of Schoolpower.  Sadly, my first marriage ended in divorce.

Laguna Beach

In 1984 I married Paul Egly and moved to Laguna Beach, a terrific move.  I had married a great guy, became  stepmother to the lovely Patti and moved to Laguna Beach, a place I had loved from the first time I saw it in 1962.  My daughter Annie attended Laguna Beach schools from Thurston to High School graduation in 1989.

In 1986 I stopped my law practice to spend time with my family.  In 1988 we spent a year living in Barcelona, Spain and traveling throughout Europe.  

When we returned, I changed direction in my law career and went with the Orange County Public Defender's Office for a year.  Then, in the early 90’s, I joined a civil litigation firm as a trial attorney.   Another change occurred a few years ago when I started teaching law. 

During my years in Laguna, I have served on the City’s Parks and Recreation committee and was a worker bee on ÒSave the CanyonÓ and on the Open Space Initiative. My involvement with LANO (North Laguna Neighborhood Association) included several terms as president.    I worked as part of the Vision Laguna 2030 effort, serving as a facilitator.

Since December 2004, I have been a member of the Laguna Beach City Council.  It has been a privilege to represent you on the Council.  I am running for re-election to continue my efforts to protect the City we all love.  I ask for your vote for another four years.